An Investigation of the Relationship Between Parents’ Socioeconomic Standards and their Children’s Online Safety; Perspective: Bangladesh

Abstract

"The field of child-computer interaction has garnered significant interest from researchers worldwide. Nevertheless, the discourse around the protection of children’s digital safe, that includes privacy and security remains significantly underrepresented in both Bangladesh and the broader global south. In situations where a significant portion of senior and adult persons lack awareness regarding optimal strategies for effectively utilizing digital gadgets and tools, it is difficult to anticipate a higher level of proficiency among younger individuals. Privacy generally encompasses the capacity of individuals to exercise control over, get access to, and govern their personal data. In contrast, the security system serves to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access, data leakage, or cyber intrusions, therefore safeguarding the data from potential compromise. Previous studies have indicated that the responsibility for safeguarding the digital privacy and security of children lies with both parents and children themselves. Regrettably, a dearth of scholarly investigations exists within the domain, hindering the ability to systematically monitor and analyze the potential relationship between parental socioeconomic status and the privacy and safety of their offspring. This research aims to discover the correlation. This study employed semi-structured interviews with a sample of 48 parents and 42 children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, including high income, middle income, and low-income groups. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis. The findings of this study indicate that children from high income families are more susceptible to online safety issues compared to their counterparts from low-income households. This vulnerability is attributed to factors such as the widespread availability of internet access and personal digital devices, greater purchasing power on online platforms, and a lack of parental monitoring. This study presents a limited number of recommendations for parents and children across various socioeconomic backgrounds in order to enhance the state of internet safety for children."